Pile-elevating mechanism



Feb. ll5, 1927.

C. lE. CHRISTOPHEL PILE ELEVATINGv ME'CHANISM 5 Sheets-lSlheet 1Original Filed July V12. 192] Feb. 15, 1927.

C. E. CHRISTOPHEL PILE ELEVATING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 @ML Q.

0r' .1511 Filed July 12. 1921 C. E. CHRISTOPHEL PILE ELEVATING MECHANISMoriginal Filed July 12. 192; 5 sheets-sheet II |||||||||I|| IDU c; E.cHRlsToPl-iEL PILE ELEVATING MECHANISM Feb;4 15, 1927. v 1,617,374,

original Filed July 12. 1921 5 sheets-sheet 4 Feb. 15, 1.927.

PILE ELEVATING MECHANI SM Original Filed July 12. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5A NVENToR. ama ma@ Q im, l

" li! c; ATTORNEYS.

1,617,374 c. E. cHmsToPHEl. A

CARL E. cERIsrorIIEL, OE PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, AssIGNoR 'ro DEXTERFOLDER 1 ,u

COMPANY, or PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OE :NEW YORKrILE-ELEvATING MEOIIANISM.

Application led July 12, 1921, Serial No. 484,078T Renewed May 12, 1925.v

This invention relates to pile elevating mechanisms for sheet feedingmachines and has for its object to provide improved means for locating apile of lsheets with respectV to the sheet feeding mechanism, forgoverning the upward movement of the pile raising table, and wherebythemotor energizing circuit may be automatically broken to prevent anoverfeed of the pile or table. Subsidiary objects of invention willappear in the l.specification and be pointed out in the `appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. whichexemplify myinvention in a preferred embodiment and in which- -Y Figure1 -is a transverse vertical section of a sheet feeding machine providedwith my improvements, said section corresponding to the line 1-1, ofFigure 2; n Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the pile holding table according to line3 3, of Figure 1, parts being broken away and parts shown in section; ll

Figure 4 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the governor forthepile elevating mechanism, parts being broken i away and parts shown insection; and

Figure 5 is asimilar side elevation showing the parts of the' governorin changed positions, y

Figure 6 is'a perspective view of the tablethe housings 10, l0 arerovi'ded with releasable shackles 12 whic may be detachablyconnected tothe lateral bars 13. Referrino` now to Figure 2, in theV preferredembodlment of my invention, suitable means Each of these castings 17 isprovided with a plurality of socket bearings 18`for mounting'theopposite ends of a table adjusting shaft 19 which carries an eccentriccam disk 20 provided with sockets 21 for the introductiomof a suitablebar Or lever for oscillating the cam 20 which bears a ainst the lateraledge of the vtable 14 an thereby 'serves to position said table for thepurpose elevating mechanism showing the complete operating connectionsbetween the several parts. In the embodunent of my Invention shown onthe drawings, the floor sockets 1 serve to mount the standards 2 whichare .rigidly connected above by side bars 3 and side frames 4. Dependingfrom the side bars 3 are oppositely arranged hangers 5, 5 forjournalling laterallyspaced shafts 6, 6. Each of said shafts 6, -6isjprovided at its forward end with a skew gear 7 which meshes with aworm 8. The worms 8 are keyed to opposite ends of a drive shaft 9 whichextends across the front of the machine. This shaft 9 is driven in amanner to be hereinafter pointed out. Each of,the shafts` 6 is providedwith suitable sprockets (not shown) within suitable housings 10,`10.Suitablemeans for raising the pile supporting meansto be hereinafterreferred to'are Iprovided as follows. Sprocket chains 11 which passaround said sprocketsand thru of centering the pile Of sheets carriedthereby. In order to provide-the pile supporting means with suitablesuspension members the opposite ends of each of the cross-beams 15, 15are provided with triangular housings 22, 22.

Presented f outwardly from each of the. housings 22, 22 is a hok 23,between which and ythe u per outside edge* of the housing 22 exten s' acam surface 24.

It will be understood from an inspection of Figure 1 that whenever theside bars 13 which are suspended from the active ends .of the chains 11,are permitted to move downwardly, they will be displaced outwardly bythe camsurfaces 24, 24 as theyslide over the hooks 23, 23 when thebeams15, 15 are in' their initial/positions ofrest indicated in dottedlines in Figure 2. When, however,v

the direction of movement of said chains is reversed, said side bars 1313 are raised 'into engagement with the suspenslon members or hooks 23,23. Suitable pads or sup.- ports 25, 25 are connected to the licor insuitable positions to carry these cross-beams position on said beams.Referring now to Figure '3, each of the forward standards 2,

before -the load is superimposed upon the |105 table 14 after said tablehas been placed in Presented rearwardly-from each of the bearmg bosses26 is a bracket arm 28 within whlch 1s mounted a cross-rod 29. Secured-to the cross-rod 29 are a plurality of front laterally projecting pins33, carried by the Same.

suspended side bars 13, 13.v Adjacent the lower end of each of the trackbars 31 as shown best in Figure 2, a wedge shaped block 34 is mounted insuitable position to displace the cam roller 32 insuch a way as to holdthe forward edge of the feed table 14 away from the vertical guides 30,`30.

, The importance of this construction will be seen. After a feed-table14 has been arranged as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, a pile ofsheets may be arranged thereon in exact alinement with the front edge ofthe feed table, or to slightly overhang the Shortly after the feed table14 begins its upward movement. the cam rollers 32, 32 will pass off fromthe cam blocks 34, 34 when the pile P will be free to 'swing intoengagement with the guides 30, 30. For

M this purpose, the points of suspension'of the side bars 13,313 areselected with Trespect to the positions ofthe chain sprockets seras toimpart a tendency to the side bars 13, 13

to swing forwardly. In this way, the front edge ofthe pile is retainedin closeu` relation to the guides 30, 30. l

Referring now to-,Figures 11 2, 4y andI 5, it will be seen that thedrive shaft 9 which is common to the table elevating shafts 6, 6 beingconnected tov said shafts by skew gears 7, 7 and worms 8, 8 at eitherend of shaft 9 is provided with a ratchet 35. As shown best in Figures 4and 5, theratchet 35 may be rotated step by step by means of va pawl 36which is Apivotally mounted on a pin 37 which projects laterally from anarm. o r block 38 which oscillates freely upon the shaft-9. The forwardend of'a spring rod 39 isalso pivotally connected to the pin 37 andcarries a collar 40 between which and a spring rod eye-bolt (not shown)is interposed a compression spring 41 which tends .to move the arm 38 ina clockwise direction.

`The arm 3 8 carries a pin or stud 42-to which is pivoted the rear endof a connecting rod 43, said connecting rod. being provided with anelongated vslot 44 in'the opposite end thereof to accommodate alaterally projecting by' gravityto rest on -acurved surface 50";

on the oscillatory arm 38 and to abut against l a shoulder 51 forpreventing the s ring 41 from throwing said arm 38 toward t 1e right. Inthis position of the parts, the pin travels to and fro along the slot 44without rotating the shaft 9. The lengthof slot 44, however, is suchthatA duringthe periods inwhich the pin 45 is adjacent its extremeleft-hand position, said pin operates to re-v lieve the pressure which4is exerted by the spring 41 against the dog or detent 49` through thearm 38.' At these times said dog or detcntvis left free to be raised outof the path of shoulder '51 by a governor mechanism which comprises thefollowing parts. j

As shown in Figure 1, a center bracket 52 is provided with a lug 53 upon,which is. pivoted a lever 54 provided atlits lower end with a roller 55adapted to rest upon the top of a pile of sheets and to gauge the ele.

vation thereof. The other armof saidlev'er 54 is pivotally connected at56 with a con,-

necting rod57, the upper endof said connecting rod being pivotallyconnected to an f arm 58 which is .keyed to a rock shaft 59.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a second crank;

arm 6() is keyied'to'the rock'shaft 59. Said ,crank arm 60 is pivotal'lyconnected at-61 y' to a link62 which depends-therefrom and isprovidedat'its lower end with a slot,63 l.

within`which operates a pin -64 carried by:v

the dog 49. It will be understood that whenA thev height of the pilebecomes sufficiently nient'serves to elevate the connecting rod 57together with the crank arms 58 and 60, thc link y62 being raised andthe dog 49 bemg reduced, the roller 55 in its downward moveg lift-ed torelease` the arm 38 after the pin 45` .has counteracted the pressure ofspring 41. N

WVhen' the arm 38-is 'thus released, itywill rod 43 by the action-ofspring 41 and under the constraint ofpin 45 in slot 44. When. by thecontinued rotation of the cani 46 the pin engages the left-handextremityY of slot l ui 44, pawl 36 will rotate the ratchet 35 and,-

cam plate 46 has an outer` run which operates on a cam roller 65 intheforward end of a -cam arm -66' which .-is Vkeyed tothe rock shaft59.forraisingthe'roller 55-from the pi lewhilethesheetl is beingforwarded. Said 'cam rbller 65, during the period in which power isbeing imparted to the arm It will `be seen from Figure 4 that the 38 forrotatingvthe shaft 9, traverses the low portion 67 of the cani plate 46.

Pivotallyfconnected at 68to the cam arm 66.is the upper end of aconnecting rod 69,

Asshown/best in Figure 1, the lower vend of 105 be moved towardthe rightwith connecting said connecting rod is pivotally connected at with acrank arm 71 which is keyed to an oscillatory shaft 72 mounted onpedestals 73 which extend upwardly from a frame or support 74 which ismounted on one of the forward standards 2. The shaft 72 also carries adepending lever arm 75 which is "adapted under certain conditions tothrow a hand operated knife switch 76 into circuit breaking position.Said knife switch is mounted on a controller board 77 which carries asuitable resistance box 78 for controlling the starting and stopping ofthe motor by hand. It will beunderstood that said motor constitutesmeans independent of the rotor 46 for elevating the sheet support. By aninspection of Figure 5 it will be seen that if the feed table has beenset into motion, there will be an `upper limit beyond which the top ofthe pile is not permitted to pass. Thus -when thc pile reaches theposition shown in Figure 5, the connecting rod has been moved upwardlyto a suiiicient degree to cause the lever arm to displace the switch 76,thus stopping the motor, this being effected thruI the upward movementofthe governor lever y51 which,

thru the connection described, operates toA Referring now to Figure thearmature I shaft 79 of a motor 80 ca ries a sprocket wheel 81 aroundwhich passes a sprocket. chain 82, said chain also passing around aelongated slot 93.

sprocket wheel 83 on shaft 84 which latter is mounted in suitable.hearings. Shaft 84 carries a gear 85 from which is driven shaft 86through gears 87 and`88. Gear87 is always in mesh with a gear 89journalled on a stud .89 carried by the frame. Gear 89 meshes witlragear 90 keyed on shaft 86. Gear 88 is always in mesh with Qgear 87, butnever in mesh with gear 'l 89. Gears 87 and 88 are mounted" on a swingarm 90 that is freely swung on the stud 89. This arm 90 can be movedtomesh the gear 87 with gear 85 by moving .said arm lto the right' (asseen in Fig. 6) or to mesh gear '88.

with gear 85 b v moving said arm toA the left or to neutral position inwhich neither gear 87 nor 88 is inmesh with 85. -The arm i 90' is lheldin any adjusted position by means of a lock screw 91 vengaging one of aseries of countersunk recesses 1n arm 90 indicated at 92, 92a and 92h,and. connected by an Shaft 86 carries a gear 93 and a hand wheel94, the,former 'meshing with a gear y95A keyed to the shaft 9. When the gear-87 is meshed with 85,shaft86 is rotated4 vfrom shaft 84 through gears,85, '87, 89 and 90 to lower the table. 'When lthev gear4 88' ismeshedwith 85, shaft 86 is "rotated-'from shaft 84 through gears 85,88,87, 89 and 9 0 to raise the tablet.

To disengage the dog 36, the arm 90' is provided with. a projection 96,the free end of which is connected tothe lower end of a member 97provided with a cam lslot 98.\

A pin 99 carried by an arm 100 engages in said slot. Said arm is mountedon a shaft 101 that has pinned thereto a cam arm 102.`

A. roller 103 mounted on the side of dog 36I engages the cam arm.Accordingly, when the swing arm 90 is moved eitherv to the right or tothe left the camy arm 102 will act through the connections described, toi elevate the dog 36 out of engagement with the ratchet 35.v l

lI claim: 1. In a sheet feeding machine, pile sup? porting means, meansfor raising said pile supporting means, means for guiding the front edgeof a pile of'slieets mounted on said pile supporting means, and meansfor holding said pile supporting means away from said front edge guidingmeans during the initial movements of the former and permitting a closerapproachI to said guiding means after a predetermined initial movement.v

2. I n a sheet yfeeding machine, pile supporting means, means forraising said pile supporting means, -means for Iguiding the front `edgeof a pile of sheets mounted on -said pile supportmg means, and means forholding said pile-supporting means away from said front edge guidingmeans during the initial movements of the former. and .permitting acloser approach" to said rguidingmeans after' a redetermined initialmovement, said holding means comprising interengaging parts of whichoneis carried by said pile supporting mean'sand the other is connected tosaid front edge guiding means.

3. In a sheet feeding machine, pile' supporting means, means foi'raising said pile supporting means, meansfor guiding the front edge o-fa pile of/sheets mountedvon said pile supporting means, and means forholding said pile supporting meansa'way edge guiding means duringtheinitial move- '-ments' of. the former. and permitting a closer yfromsaid front edge guiding means during n said pilevsupporting means,'andmeans comprismg mterengagmg parts for holding ysaid ,pile supportingmeans away from said front appioach to said guiding means after apredetermined initial movement, one of said interengaging parts beingmovable relatively to the other by the movement. of said pile supportingmeans.

5. In a sheet feeding machine, a pile holding table, supporting beamsfor said pile holding table, said beams being provided at opposite endswith downwardly presented hooks and outwardly presented cam surfaces,side lbars movable downwardly and. displaceable outwardly by said camsurfaces and upwardly to come into engagement with said hooks forlifting the table and means movable alternately in opposite directionsfor lowering and raising said side bars. A

Y(l. In a sheet feeding machine, a plurality of pile supporting means,and means movable alternately in opposite directions for raising one ofsaid pile suppoi'ting means after the other, each of said pilesupporting meansbeing provided -with s-iispension meinbers disposed inthe path of said raising means and adapted to displace said raisingmeans on its downward movement and to intercept said .raising means onits upward movement so as to be raised thereby.

47. In a sheet feeding machine, the combination with pile supportingmeans, of sprocket chains for suspending said pile supporting means,said pile supporting means being provided with downwardly presentedhooks provided with upwardly presented cam surfaces intersecting theplanes sprocket chains, and means carried by the suspension ends of saidsprocket chains for slidably engaging said cam surfaces to be laterallydisplaced on the downward movement of said suspension ends ofythe'sprocket chains and for engaging said downwardly presented hookswhen said suspension ends of the sprocket 'chains are raised.

8. In a sheet feeding machine, a pile holding table, beams forsupporting said table', sockets carried by said beams, a shaft adaptedto be carried by said sockets, and an eccentric carried by saidshaft andbearing against said table and adapted to rotate to niovesaid table. A

9. In a sheet feeding machine, a pile holding table, a -motor, drivingconnections between said motor and pile holding table for Araising thelatter, means adapted to be displaced by the upward movement of a pileof sheets onsaid table foi' rendering inoperative the drivingconnections between said motor and the pile holding table, and meansautomatically disconnecting said motor and driving means.

1'0.l In a sheet feeding machine, beams for carrying a pile holdingtable, each of said beams being provided with housings at opposite endsthereof, said housings being provided with outwardly -presented hooks,sepaof' movements of the suspension ends of said` outwardly as they arelowered past said beams. I

11. In a sheet feeding machine,'beams for carrying a pile holding table,each of said beams beingrarovided with housings at opvided` withoutwardly,presented hooks, separate side bai's for lengaging said hooks,and means for suspending and raising said side bars, said beam endhousings being provided posite ends thereof, said housings being, pro'-75 lwith cam surfaces for guiding said side bars 80.

outwardly as they are loweredl past said beams, said suspension 4meansbeing provided with shackles for releasably-connecting said side bars. l

12. In a sheet feeding machine, ,beams for carrying a pile holdingtable, each of said beams being provided with housings at opposite endsthereof, said housings being provided with outwardly preented hooks,sepa-i rate side bars for engaging said hooks, and means for suspendingand raising said side bars, said beam end housings being provided withcam surfaces for guiding said side bars outwardly as they are loweredpast said beams, said suspension means being pio-v vided with shacklesfor releasably connecting up said side bars, said side bars beingprovided with cam rollers thereon, front edge guides for a pile.-ofsheets mounted on said table, and c ain blocks cooperating with said camrollers for holding the front edge of saidpile away vfrom said guidesduring the initial upward movements of said side bars.

13. In a sheet feeding machine, pile elevating means, a pile elevatinggovernor for controlling the elevation of said pile elevat-Y ing means,a motor controlling switch and means operatably connecting said governorand said' switch, said connecting means in- 110 cluding a cam operatedleverfor controlling the operation ofsaid governor, a lever for throwingsaid switch, and means for connecting said cam and switch throwinglevers.

14..In a sheet-feeding machine, pile supment is completed, said holdingmeans including a stationary part land a movable part niovablyeiiga'gingsaid stationary partfL l5. In a sheet-feeding machine, ,pile sup-' Aporting means, means forrai'sing said pile supporting means, means for;vguiding the 13o wis front edge of a pile of sheets mounted on said pilesupporting'means, and means for holding said pile-supporting means awayfrom said front edge guiding means during an initial movement of saidpile supporting means Aand permitting a closer approach to 'said guidingmeans after said initial movement is completed, said holding meansincluding relatively movable parts in engage- Lment with each otherduring said initial movement.

16. In combination, a pile elevating shaft, a ratchet keyed thereto,anarm loosely-`r mounted on said shaft, a pawl carried by said arm andadapted to engage said ratchet to rotate said shaft, a pivoted dogengaging said arm to normally hold the same stationary, a governor leverand connections between said lever and dog for' disengaging the latterfrom said arm including a link having a pin andslot engagement with saiddog, and means for rotating said shaft through said pawl when said d ogis so disengaged.

17. In combination, a pile elevating shaft,

. an arm loosely mounted thereon, a step-bystep connection between saidarm and said shaft, a pivoted dog engaging said arm to normally hold thesame stationary, a governor lever ,and connections between said leverand dog for disengaging the latter from said ari'n including a camactuated member, a link connecting said memberiand l:als

lever, a link connecting said member and dog, and means for rotatingsaid shaft through said step-by-step connection when said dog is sodisengaged.

18. In combination, a pile holding table, a motor, apile elevatingshaft, connections betweensaid motor and said shaft, a governor lever, acam operated lever, connections between said governor lever and said camlever, and. connections between saidcam lever and s aid motor.

'19. In combination, a pile holding table, a motor, a pile elevatingshaft, connections A between said motor and said shaft, a governorlever, a cam operated lever,` connections between said governor leverand saidj cam leverl and connections between said cam lever and saidmotor, means carried by said shaft for rotating the same, a dog normallyholding said means out of operative engagement with said shaft, andconnections b'etween said vcam lever and said dog.

20. In a device of the character described, tlie combination of a sheetsupport, a. governor lever engaging the top of the 4pile of sheets andoperating to normally maintain the top of the pile at a predetermined'Aing means engaging the top of the pile of sheets and normallymaintaining the same at v a predetermined height, means forautomatically elevating said support, a device' for normally preventingoperation of said support elevating means, an independent source ofpower, lost-motion connections between said governing means and saiddevice,

and connections Lbetween said governing means and said independentsource of power to cut oil' the latter when said governing means iselevated beyond `a predetermined height by said independentsource ofpower. y22. In a device of the characterdescribed,

thecoinbination of a sheet support, a source of power from which theApile is normally lmaintained at sii-predetermined height, in-

dependent power means for elevating the pile, and a combined governorand safety lever normally operating to maintain theV pile at apredetermined height from said source of power and to disconnect saidindependentmea'ns when said pile.l is raised thereby above apredetermined height.

23. In a devicejof the character described,

the -'combination of a sheet support, ov'eriil' ing means normallymaintaining tlie pile at a predetermined height, independent means forelevating said support, and connections between said governing meansand" said independent means for automatically -disconnecting saidindependent meansvwhen said pile is elevatedI thereby beyond .apredetermined height.

24. In a device of the character'described,

the combination of a sheet support, a source of power for'elevating saidsheet' support, governing means normally maintaining the vpile at a'predetermined height from said source-of power', independent powermeans for elevatin t between sai governing means and-said independentmeans for automaticallyT disconnecting said independent means when saidpile is elevated thereby beyond a predetermined height.

ico

said support, and connections .oAiiL E. oi-inis'roriiiii.,v

